35 Celebrities You Didn’t Realize Were Canadian

Although some of the biggest names in entertainment wander the streets of major U.S. cities, not all celebrities are born and raised in the good ol' US of A.

In fact, some of the US' favorite stars hail from our friendly neighbors to the north, Canada. Since the Canadian accent is very similar to our own, it's easy to forget that some of our favorite actors, musicians, and other celebs have roots in an entirely different country.

Take a look below at the celebrities you didn't realize were Canadian.

(The Notebook via New Line Cinema)

Ryan Gosling

Before he became one of the hottest hunks in Hollywood, Ryan Gosling lived in Ontario, Canada. He spent his younger years in the country before leaving for the US at age 13 to join Disney's The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. He starred on the series alongside other now-big names like Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. After landing the role, Gosling moved to Florida to film. It was the perfect start to his illustrious career in entertainment.

(La La Land via Lionsgate)

 

Matthew Perry

Before he was one of our favorite friends, Matthew Perry was just another Canadian kid. However, the star was born in Massachusetts, so he is a US citizen. Despite his birthplace, Perry was raised in Ottawa, Ontario. In 1987, Perry landed his first major role in the sitcom Boys Will Be Boys. At the time, he just 18 years old. Perry is open about his Canadian upbringing and proudly dubs himself a half-Canadian.

(Friends via NBC)

 

Sandra Oh

Sandra Oh is best known as Dr. Cristina Yang from Grey's Anatomy. Before she was an ambitious cardiac surgeon, however, Oh was an established actress in Canada. She grew up in Nepean, Ontario, where she pursued a career in entertainment both on the stage and on the screen. She had plenty of experience under her belt when she took on the role of Cristina Yang, which is perhaps why she was such a success on the series.

(Killing Eve via Hulu)

 

Rachel McAdams

It's strange to consider that not one, but two of the stars of The Notebook hail from Canada. That's right—Rachel McAdams is Canadian, as well. She was born in London, Ontario and lived there for most of her childhood. At the age of 13, she began pursuing a career in the theater before making the big move to Hollywood with dreams of becoming an actress. Well, her dreams came true. Her first major role was in The Famous Jett Jackson, which she starred in when she was just 23.

(The Notebook via New Line Cinema)

 

Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen seems like a permanent installment in US entertainment. But he wasn't always around. Before he brought big laughs to the big screen, Rogen lived in Vancouver, British Colombia. He was an aspiring comedian when Judd Apatow asked him to star in Freaks and Geeks. As he gained popularity, he moved to America. Now, he's one of the best-known comedians in Hollywood, with credits like Pineapple Express, Superbad, and Neighbors. He even voiced Pumbaa in the live-action remake of The Lion King. 

 

Drake

Today, Drake is an intensely popular, uber-rich rap and hip-hop singer. But his entertainment career actually started with acting. During his childhood, Drake was an actor living in Toronto, Ontario. He starred on the hit teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. He played Jimmy on the show until 2008, when he officially turned his attention to music. From there, his career took off, prompting his eventual move to the US.

 

Jim Carrey

Canada has bred more than one iconic comedian. Before there was Seth Rogan, there was Jim Carrey. Carrey grew up in Toronto, Ontario, where he first started his career in stand-up comedy. At age 17, he moved to Los Angeles to give his professional life a real shot. He quickly earned credits in popular movies like Dumb and Dumber, In Living Color, and Ace Ventura. After 25 years of living in the US, Carrey finally earned his citizenship in 2004.

(Liar Liar via Universal Pictures)

 

 

Avril Lavigne

While Avril Lavigne disappeared from the public eye for a while, she was all the rage in the early 2000s. Before she started making her pop-rock music, however, Lavigne was just a normal kid from Belleville, Ontario. Lavigne recorded her first album, Let Go, while still living in Ontario. She continued releasing albums throughout the 2000s, but took a long break from 2013 to 2019 before releasing her sixth studio album, Head Above Water. 

 

Celine Dion

Celine Dion actually grew up in the French-speaking part of Canada, which is why she's often mistaken for a French singer. In fact, she started her career with a few French-language albums. Celine comes from Charlemagne, Quebec, the one province in Canada where the dominant language is French. She later moved to the US to pursue a career in entertainment. She definitely succeeded in bringing her dreams to fruition.    

 

Shania Twain

One of the most impressive country singers of all time, Shania Twain, also finds her roots in Canada. The country-pop star was born in Timmins, Ontario. Unfortunately, her Canadian childhood wasn't a positive experience. Twain reportedly left an abusive situation when she moved from Canada to the US in 1983. She later moved back to her home country to take care of her siblings, but still pursued a career in music. A while later, she signed a record deal, and the rest is history. Now, she's an iconic musician with years of entertainment experience under her belt. 

 

Shawn Mendes

Beyond the amazing actors who hail from the North, Canada also produces some truly impressive musical talent. One of the massive singers who made their way down south is Shawn Mendes. Mendes grew up near Toronto in Pickering, Ontario. In fact, he still calls Canada home. Although he spends large chunks of time in the US, he still maintains a connection to his homeland and even had an apartment in Toronto in 2019.

 

Justin Bieber

Shawn Mendes may currently be the most popular musician to hail from Canada, but he wasn't the first. That's right—the Biebs himself comes from the Great White North. When he was younger, Justin Bieber made YouTube videos of his music from his home in Stratford, Ontario. His videos slowly became more and more popular, vaulting him into musical fame. He eventually made the big move to Los Angeles, where his career took off. He still visits Canada frequently and even lived there at one point with his wife, Hailey Baldwin.

 

Shay Mitchell

Before she was a fictional resident of Rosewood, Pennsylvania on Pretty Little Liars, Shay Mitchell lived in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was born in Mississauga, Ontario, but moved with her family to Vancouver at age 10. She later pursued a career in acting in the US, finding fame on the mysterious teen series. Most recently, she starred as New York socialite Peach Salinger in You. She now lives in a gorgeous home in Los Angeles with her longtime partner, Matte Babel, and their daughter. 

 

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds is very open about his Canadian roots. The actor was born and raised in Vancouver before making the move to the US in his early 20s. Although he had a few roles on US television shows when he was a child, he didn't move to the US officially until he was an adult. The decision to move, however, was a smart one. Now Reynolds is a household name known for his incredible humor and his strong marriage to his gorgeous wife, Blake Lively.

 

Will Arnett

Is there something about the water in Canada that just makes people funnier? Will Arnett also hails from the Great White North. The star was a Toronto native with roots in Manitoba before he moved to NYC to pursue acting. He found mainstream success playing George Oscar Bluth II in Arrested Development. For his work on the series, he was nominated for an Emmy. However, he also lent his talent to other big projects like The Lego Movie, Despicable Me, and Ratatouille. 

 

Also read about: 35 Celebs Who Didn't Find Fame Until After 35

 

Cobie Smulders

Cobi Smulders first became a recognizable face while playing Robin on the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Thankfully, she was able to draw from her real-life experiences to perfect the role. Robin is Canadian, and so is Smulders. While joking about the importance of Robin's Canadian heritage, Smulders was actually poking fun at her own home. Still, those impressive acting chops earned her a place in the entertainment world, and she went on to star in Marvel's Avengers. 

 

Jay Baruchel

Jay Baruchel is an actor, director, screenwriter and author who's very proud of his Canadian heritage. Jay even sports a maple leaf tattoo on his chest. The How to Train Your Dragon star often jokes about his home country and the overly-nice stereotype that plagues most Canadians. While he enjoys making movies in the US, he also claims that he wishes he never had to leave Canada to make his films.

 

Catherine O'Hara

Catherine O'Hara is another comedian who first came out of Toronto's The Second City comedy troupe. The Canadian actress is well-known for her role as Kevin's mom in the Christmas classic Home Alone. However, she has now earned massive fame on the hit sitcom Schitt's Creek. Although the series recently came to an end, we can't believe Catherine is ready to end her career. The actress often talks about her fond memories of visiting her family's rural cottage in Muskoka, Ontario as a child.

(Schitt's Creek via Pop TV)

 

Justin Chatwin

Best known as Jimmy on Shameless, Justin Chatwin was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia. He didn't originally plan to act, but eventually decided to take acting classes on the side while attending university. Before he knew it, Chatwin had quite a few acting credits to his name in Canadian TV shows. However, his fame skyrocketed when he was cast as Tom Cruise's son in War of the Worlds. His acting career then took him to the hit show Shameless, where he starred opposite Emmy Rossum. 

(Shameless via Showtime)

 

Anna Paquin

Anna Paquin is another celebrity with a mixed background. She was born in Winnipeg, but later moved to Wellington, New Zealand, where she grew up. Still, the actress finds her roots in Canada. The former child actress appeared in Jane Eyre, True Blood, and X-Men. She even won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Piano. 

(True Blood via HBO)

 

Shawn Ashmore

Shawn Ashmore was born in Richmond, British Columbia. Later in his life, he moved to St. Albert, Alberta, and Brampton, Ontario. He attended primary school in Canada, but rose to fame when he landed the role of Iceman in X-Men. Ashmore also has a slightly more successful brother, who has made appearances on Smallville, The Shrine, and Veronica Mars. 

(X-Men via 20th Century Fox)

 

Neve Campbell

Neve Campbell is another '90s star with a big claim to fame. She's best known for her role as Sidney in Scream. Unlike other Canadian stars who pursued a career in the US, Campbell decided to look for fame in Canada after starring in Scream. She appeared on a variety of children's shows before winning the Canadian Golden Globe for Best Drama in 1996. After her spurt of fame in the '90s, Campbell took a step back and embraced smaller roles, eventually returning as Sidney in Scream 4. She also starred as Leann Harvey on House of Cards. 

(Scream 4 via Dimension Films)

 

Kim Cattrall

Kim Cattrall is a total Samantha. No, really—the actress played Samantha on Sex and the City. But before she took on that iconic role, Kim grew up on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In truth, however, the actress isn't Canadian or American. She was actually born in the UK, but moved to Canada with her family at a young age. She started her acting career at age 19 and eventually landed the role of Samantha, which vaulted her into the entertainment hall of fame. 

(Sex and the City via HBO)

 

Elliot Page

Elliot Page is best known for playing the titular character in Juno. But before he played a pregnant teen on the big screen, Elliot lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was born in Canada and got his first acting job on a Canadian TV show, Pit Pony, at just 12 years old. As he found Hollywood-levels of fame, he eventually moved to Los Angeles.

(Juno via Fox Searchlight Pictures)

 

Michael Cera

Another Juno star, Michael Cera was also born in Canada. He lived in Brampton, Ontario before pursuing a career in acting. He got his first acting jobs on Canadian TV shows before transitioning into the American cinema space. He then became a hit with US audiences after starring in popular movies like Superbad and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. He also played George Michael Bluth on the hit sitcom Arrested Development. 

(Superbad via Sony Pictures Releasing)

 

Also read about: 35 Stars Who Started Their Careers as Child Actors

 

Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette was a star of the '90s music scene. A cultural icon, Morissette was best known for her emotive voice and deep lyrics. Before she became a household name in the US, however, Morissette was a big star in her homeland of Canada. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Morissette already had the best album in the country by the age of 16. At age 19, she decided to take her career to the next level and moved to Los Angeles. That's where she recorded Jagged Little Pill, perhaps her most famous album ever released. 

 

Michael Bublé

Every year around Christmastime, Michael Bublé sneaks his way back into our collective consciousness through the replaying of his holiday albums. What you might not know, however, is that the musician was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, a town just outside of Vancouver. While other stars have forsaken their Canadian roots and moved to the US, Bublé maintains his strong ties to Canada. He owns the Vancouver Giants hockey team and even bought a house (well, mansion) across the street from his elementary school. 

 

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves, a favorite star across the Internet, was born in Toronto. His Canadian heritage has never been a highly discussed part of his personality until his role in Toy Story 4, where he played a Canadian stuntman toy with a maple leaf costume. Reeves first got his start in entertainment on the Candian kid's show Going Great. Although he was fired after the first year, his entertainment career still managed to take off.

(John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum via Lionsgate)

 

William Shatner

William Shatner became famous as Star Trek's original Captain Kirk. Before he wandered the stars on a spaceship, however, the actor lived in Montreal, Canada. However, his Canadian heritage wasn't well-known. In fact, Shatner claimed that even the customs officers at the Canadian border would often exclaim that they didn't know the star was Canadian. While he loves his homeland, Shatner earned much more fame by pursuing his entertainment career in the US.

 

Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson was an absolute star in the '90s for her role on the hit series Baywatch. Although most people associated her with California because of her role on the series, Anderson was born in Canada. Coincidentally, her birthday is on Canada Day: July 1. When Anderson hit her twenties, she made the big move to California. However, she's still close with her childhood BFF from Canada, who has a very normal life—a huge divergence from Anderson's own experience.

(Baywatch via NBC)

 

James Cameron

Director James Cameron is known for putting together a truly incredible film. Some titles credited to him include Titanic and Avatar. Born in Ontario, Cameron developed a love of exploring during his childhood in Canada. He practiced his scuba diving in Ontario's Chippawa Creek, developing a lifelong love that eventually led him to explore the Mariana Trench, the deepest spot on the Earth. He is the only person to ever make a solo trip into the Trench. Cameron maintains ties to his homeland, but still takes plenty of time to explore the world in between directing gigs. 

 

Alex Trebek

The beloved host of Jeopardy! also hails from Canada. Alex Trebek was born in Sudbury, Canada right in the middle of the second World War. During his long life, he attended the University of Ottawa, which perhaps explains his wealth of knowledge that makes him the perfect host for Jeopardy! While Trebek is currently fighting off pancreatic cancer, he is still hosting each and every new episode of the popular competition series. 

(Jeopardy! via ABC)

 

Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd is another famous Canadian comedian. He got his start with Toronto's popular comedy troupe The Second City. After gaining some notoriety for his comedic talent, Aykroyd went on to star in Ghostbusters. He has continually said that Canada will always be his home, and plans to retire there when his career in the entertainment world is finally finished.

(Ghostbusters via Columbia Pictures)

 

Lorne Michaels

Ever heard of Saturday Night Live? Well, Lorne Michaels is the show runner. While you may not have heard of him directly, the producer has incredible talent that he uses to entertain US citizens late on Saturday evenings. Michaels was born in Toronto, Ontario. While he wasn't born a US citizen, he did earn his US citizenship over 30 years ago in 1987. Considering how much we love SNL, we're certainly glad this Canadian made his way over to America.

 

Margaret Atwood

Another name that may not ring any bells at first glance, Margaret Atwood is the author of The Handmaid's Tale. While Canada is supposed to be a bright and happy country, the Canadian native actually wrote quite a dark dystopian novel. Atwood was born in Ottawa, but lived northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto throughout the course of her life. Her impressive book eventually became a chilling TV series that has touched audiences across the world. 

 

Looking more for about your favorite stars? Click HERE for 30 celebs who used to be on the cover of every tabloid.